The present invention relates to the art of gun sights and, more particularly, to a gun sight for a semi-automatic handgun used for tactical applications, where quick target acquisition and quick sight alignment are critical and wherein the sight is subjected to many adverse conditions and situations.
The present invention is particularly applicable for use in connection with semi-automatic handguns, which are used for tactical applications, and, therefore, the invention will be described with particular reference to tactical semi-automatic handguns. However, the invention has broader applications and may be used with any type of semi-automatic handguns and other firearms. It is, of course, well known that a sight is necessary to accurately aim the barrel of a firearm that is being fired. It is also well known, proven and taught in tactical training, that use of any firearm in tactical applications necessitates quick threat or target acquisition and quick sight alignment. Furthermore, quick threat or target acquisition and quick sight alignment are also important when moving the firearm from a first target to a second target. It should be appreciated that in tactical situations, when lives are at stake, minimizing the time necessary to obtain a target or threat and align the sights are critical.
Traditional rear sights are typically square, boxy and include sharp corners. As a result, when utilizing a traditional rear sight, due to it""s large top edge, the user""s eye must search along that large top edge of the sight blade to locate the front sight. This lengthens time necessary to locate the front sight. In addition, the large rectangular rear portion of prior art gun sights acts as an obstruction, which reduces the ability to see the threat about the peripheral portions of the sight. When handguns are fired, typically at an arm""s length from the user, a large bulky rear sight reduces the ability to fully see the target, especially when it is small and/or distant or when the user needs to distinguish if the threat is armed. In this respect, large boxy rear sight configurations may make it necessary for the user to actually lower the handgun so that the user can see over the top of the sights for target acquisition and then raise the handgun to align the sights. This, in addition to the user searching a large top edge of the sight to locate the front sight, takes significant time under tactical, life threatening circumstances and therefore disadvantageously increases the time necessary for target acquisition and sight alignment. Prior art gun sights also include eye distracting configurations and textures on the rear facing surface of the sight which produces time consuming distractions to the user""s eye. In this respect, sharply square outer corners have a tendency to draw the user""s eye to the corners of the gun sight, momentarily distracting the user, while the user is attempting to locate the front sight and align it in the notch of the rear sight. Textures and other configurations or contours on the rear surface of the sight have a similar effect. While some prior art sights such as Swenson, utilize textures to reduce glare, the textures tend to produce an eye distraction, disadvantageously increasing the threat acquisition time and sight alignment time.
The notch of the rear sight is used to define the boundaries of a sight line, which in connection with the front sight, allows the user to properly align the barrel towards the target. Prior art notches fall in two general categories, namely, semi-circular notches and rectangular notches. Semi-circular notches are difficult to align since there are no sidewalls to reference against the sides of the front sight. The sidewalls of the rear notch are used as parallel references to the sides of the front sight to ensure that the handgun""s barrel is properly aligned from left to right. This is done by having an equal open space between the left side edge of the front sight to the left side edge of the rear notch wall as between the right side edge of the front sight to the right side edge of the rear notch wall. With a semi-circle, proper alignment is not easily definable, since the front sight is referenced, to merely a portion of a round shape. However, while prior art rectangular notches provide better reference based on the side edges, it has also been found that square corners at the bottom of the notch detract the user""s eye in that the eye is drawn to the sharp corners. As stated above, sharp corners momentarily distract the user eye, while the user is attempting to locate the front sight. This same distraction comes from looking through a notch with sharp bottom corners. Another problem with the prior art sight relates to the length of the notch. Notches which have a long length produce more of an obstruction to the sight line which increases the amount of time necessary for target acquisition and for finding the front sight. Turning to the width of the notch, rear notches which are substantially wider than the width of the front sight make it difficult to center the front sight within the notch which also adds to the time necessary for target acquisition.
Another aspect of tactical gun sights relates to the fact that these sights are often used in many different types of adverse conditions and situations. With respect to adverse conditions, while target or threat acquisition is important, the tactical gun sight must also be designed to withstand the harsh conditions in which the firearms are often used. More particularly, tactical handguns are designed for use by military and law enforcement personnel and other individuals in the field. This involves transporting the firearm and using the firearm over many uncertain terrains and in connection with many uncertain obstacles. Further, due to the adverse conditions, the firearm can be dropped and/or be engaged against the terrain and/or obstacles. As a result, the gun sight must be robust and accurately tied to the slide mechanism of the handgun to maintain accuracy.
Another adverse situation in the field relates to what is called a xe2x80x9cstove pipe jamxe2x80x9d (SPJ), which describes the situation wherein a spent case is extracted from the chamber, but the rim of the cartridge slips off the extractor hook and the cartridge does not make contact with the ejector. The cartridge typically ends up in a vertical position, resting on the top round in the magazine. In addition, while this is taking place, the slide continues to cycle and chambers the next round. The slide fails to complete it""s full cycle because the, now vertical cartridge becomes lodged between the slide""s breach face and the front of the slide""s ejection port. Thus, the vertical cartridge resembles a xe2x80x9cstove pipe.xe2x80x9d While firing, if a SPJ occurs, the user must dislodge or clear the spent cartridge to make the handgun operational. The SPJ is cleared by first positioning the user""s weak hand fingers on top of the slide with the palm facing down so that the SPJ is between the user""s hand and body. Next, with a rapid and forceful slapping motion, the user snaps the positioned hand towards their body so that the index finger or the palm of the hand engages the protruding portion of the SPJ cartridge, dislodging it. Once the cartridge has been dislodged, the slide automatically closes. The force or rapid motion generated to remove the SPJ inevitably causes the hand to make physical contact with the rear sight which can injure the user""s hand. This necessitates that the rear sight, which is typically struck by either the index finger or the palm of the hand, be free of any sharp edges, which can cause injury. Once the SPJ has been cleared the user may need to cycle the slide manually. But typically, the slide under spring tension, will close automatically.
Even yet, another adverse situation in the field occurs when a round is not fully seated in the chamber by the forward action of the slide. The user must then forcefully push the slide forward to fully seat the round in the chamber. The most effective technique to push the slide forward is to use the palm of the user""s weak hand and with a forceful strike, engage the rear surface of the slide. Accordingly, it is advantageous for the back surface of the rear sight to be flush or only slightly recessed from the back of the slide or injury to the palm of the hand could occur.
In accordance with the present invention, provided is a rear gun sight for use in connection with a tactical semi-automatic handgun which includes configurations that minimizes sight obstructions, that quickly directs and focuses the user""s sight to the sight line and front sight and includes a slide securing surface that provides for a positive and safe cycling of the slide with a single hand.
More particularly, a sight according to the present invention is configured to maximize the visual ability of the user to see past the rear sight for both target acquisition and front sight location by minimizing the cross-sectional configuration of the sight. In this respect, a rear surface minimizing design is incorporated on either side of the notch. This minimizing design greatly reduces the visual obstructions near the notch, so that the user can more quickly obtain target acquisition. The user""s vision is now directed by the flow of the minimizing design and the resulting narrowness of the sight top to the sight line and front sight. Essentially the upper portion of the gun sight contains only the notch.
In order to provide these advantages, a gun sight according to the present invention has a generally rectangular base portion transverse to the cocking or chambering direction of the firearm which extends between the front and the back of the sight. Extending upwardly from the base portion is a notch wall and two side walls on either side of the notch wall. The side walls and the notch walls have a back surface contiguous with the back surface of the base of the sight. However, as the side walls extend upwardly from the base, they first curve inwardly and then curve upwardly so that the width of the top portions of the walls are significantly narrower than the width of the sight base. This allows for a robust sight with minimal obstruction characteristics.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the sight is configured to quickly direct the user""s eye to the sight line and the front sight, by eliminating eye distracting configurations such as square corners. In this respect, the rear surface of the sight includes rounded corners between the bottom of the base and the sides of the base. Furthermore, the inward curves of the minimizing design described above are similar to the corner curves between the base bottom and base sides. As a result, the portion of the rear surface of the sight corresponding with the base is essentially rectangular with four softly curved corners. In order to reduce glare on the rear surface of the sight, this surface is angled rearwardly from bottom to top. Unlike prior art sights, the rearward slant allows glare reduction without eye attracting grooves or contours. Since the notch, is centered horizontally in the notch wall, which is the narrowest portion of the gun sight, the user can quickly obtain sight acquisition and front sight location without searching a large top edge of the sight.
Yet, another aspect of the present invention is the notch configuration, which according to the present invention directs the user""s eye to the sight line, the front sight and the target/threat, making sight alignment and target acquisition quicker. The notch includes vertical sides and a flat bottom, however, the bottom and the sides are joined by curved corners. By utilizing curved corners, the eye is not distracted by sharp corners. Furthermore, by using straight sides and bottom, the front sight can be more quickly aligned in the notch. The notch, is also slightly slanted downwardly from back to front to produce a clear and distinct bottom edge. A flat, or horizontal, notch bottom can appear blurry or not easily distinguishable.
Even yet, another aspect of the present invention is to further reduce sight obstructions by including a clearance groove or channel cut in line with but forward of the notch. The clearance grove is between the side walls described above. This minimizes the sight boundaries as the user is looking through the notch. To even further reduce sight boundaries, the length of the notch is shortened.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the top surface of the sight is slightly angled from back to front and the front edges are softened or broken so, as to reduce the chance of injury when clearing a xe2x80x9cstove pipe jam.xe2x80x9d In addition, the slightly angled top surface produces a clear and distinct top edge, the same as the bottom of the notch. A flat, or horizontally top can make the edges appear blurry or not easily distinguishable. Additionally, the top surfaces of the side walls are slightly angled from back to front to also produce distinct side edges for the same reasons just staged above. The slight angles on these three surfaces produce a distinct and crisp view of the rear sight surface, which aids the user in aligning the sights efficiently and defining the sight picture on the target or the threat.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is the provision of a rear gun sight for a semi-automatic handgun which can be effectively used for tactical applications thereby allowing the user to quickly align the sights and obtain target acquisition.
Another object is the provision of a tactical sight of the foregoing character that is rugged and able to withstand use in many adverse conditions.
Still another object is the provision of a tactical gun sight of the foregoing character which includes an outer configuration that minimizes eye distraction, so that the user""s vision is directed to the sight line and the front sight.
A further object is the provision of a tactical gun sight of the foregoing character wherein the rear notch is configured with vertical side surfaces and a horizontal base surface with arcuate corners between the surfaces to further reduce eye distractions and to direct the user""s vision to upward, to the front sight.
Another object is the provision of a tactical gun sight of the foregoing character wherein the notch is slanted downwardly from back to front to produce a clear and distinguishable bottom notch edge.
Even yet another object is the provision of a tactical gun sight of the foregoing character wherein the top surfaces of the notch walls and outer sidewalls are slanted downwardly from back to front to produce a clear and distinguishable top sight edge.
Still another object is the provision of a tactical gun sight of the foregoing character wherein the rear surface of the sight includes no sharp corners or other configurations which distract the user""s eye and is slanted rearwardly to reduce glare.
Still yet, a further object is the provision of a tactical gun sight of the foregoing character wherein the length of the notch is reduced and a clearance groove is provided to reduce sight barriers within the notch for quicker target acquisition and front sight location.
Even yet a further object is the provision of a tactical gun sight of the foregoing character which includes vertically extending side walls that have an outer surface with an inward taper to even further reduce the sight barriers for yet quicker target acquisition.
A further object is the provision of a tactical gun sight of the foregoing character, which includes an angled top surface for preventing injury to the user""s hand when clearing a xe2x80x9cstove pipe jam.xe2x80x9d
Yet, another object is the provision of a tactical gun sight of the foregoing character, which utilizes materials that are light weight yet rugged and which a finish can be applied which has non-glare characteristics that can withstand a harsh environment associated with the use of tactical firearms.